How to substantiate a self-evaluation

Posted by Fed Finance in Our employment advice
Posted at 07/08/2023
How to substantiate a self-evaluation

In today's professional scenario, performance evaluation is a common practice that allows to assess and analyze employees' work. In this context, self-evaluation plays a key role in allowing employees to reflect on their own performance, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and contributing to a more precise and efficient evaluation. In this article, we will discuss the importance of self-evaluation and give you tips and strategies to carry it out effectively and without insecurities.

The Importance of Self-Evaluation

Evaluating employee performance is a crucial practice for companies, as it allows them to assist in the professional development and growth of their employees. Self-evaluation offers the opportunity for employees to be actively involved in evaluating their own performance, fostering an environment of greater transparency, and allowing for a more comprehensive and accurate assessment.
By conducting a self-evaluation, employees can reflect on their work, identify their areas of excellence, and understand their weaknesses. This self-criticism and self-reflection provide greater self-awareness, allowing individuals to engage in their own professional development. In addition, self-assessment also facilitates the setting of personal development goals, helping to align individual work with organizational objectives.

CARRY OUT AN EFFECTIVE SELF-EVALUATION

Conducting an effective self-evaluation requires a structured process and careful reflection. Here are some important steps to follow:

Get prepared

Gather relevant information such as individual goals and objectives that will help you support a self-evaluation with concrete facts.

Be honest with yourself

When conducting a self-assessment, recognize your achievements, but also identify areas where you can improve. Keeping this realistic and objective view of performance is essential.

Use concrete examples

Support your self-assessment with specific examples from situations or projects. You can then use these examples as evidence to reinforce your assessment.

Ask for feedback

Ask co-workers or your superiors for feedback. This can provide a valuable external perspective that will complement your self-assessment.

Identify strengths and areas for improvement

Clearly identify your strengths and how they have contributed to the success of the team and the company. Similarly, identify areas for improvement and set concrete goals to develop them.

SUBSTANTIATE YOUR EVALUATION

Having strategies to back up your self-evaluation will give you extra confidence when it comes to putting your ideas forward. Always use concrete facts and specific examples. Take note of the 4 infallible strategies to support it:

Use measurable metrics

Use objective metrics to quantify your performance whenever possible. For example, you could mention targets achieved, deadlines met or improvements in performance indicators.

Give concrete examples

When describing your performance, mention specific examples of situations in which you played an important role or had a positive impact. These examples can provide a solid basis for your self-assessment.

Include feedback received

Mention feedback received from co-workers, superiors, or customers. This demonstrates that you value different opinions and are willing to learn and improve from them.

Present tangible results

Highlight the results you have achieved by carrying out your tasks. This can include resource savings, increased customer satisfaction, process optimization, and more.

AND WHEN CRITICISM COMES?

When conducting a self-evaluation, it is important to be prepared to accept negative criticism and welcome it as constructive. Here are some healthy ways to face criticism in an evaluation period:

  • Keep an open mind to constructive feedback. See it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
  • Don't take it personally and remember that criticism is about your performance and not about you as a person.
  • Analyze the criticism when you receive it, reflect on it and ask yourself if there is anything you can learn or improve from it.
  • Ask for clarification if you do not fully understand what you are being told. Only then can you work towards making the necessary changes.
But the self- evaluation is also an opportunity to reflect on your strengths and how they

contribute to your success at work. It is also important to think about them in a positive way: 

  • Identify your unique skills. Think about how those qualities can benefit your team and the company.
  • Recognize your achievements and reflect on your accomplishments and results. Identify where you performed exceptionally well and seek to understand how your skills contributed to those successes.

SELF-EVALUATION - A JOURNEY TO GROWTH

Self-evaluation is an important component in the process of professional and personal development. By reflecting on your strengths and areas for improvement, setting development goals and receiving constructive feedback, we can identify opportunities for growth and continuously progress in our careers.These moments of self-analysis contribute to greater employee engagement with companies and make them feel even more responsible for their own professional growth and development process.

It is a case of Win-Win. The company benefits from more motivated and productive workers, while employees are better able to identify their own development needs and set clear goals, thus being able to direct their professional trajectory, acquire new skills and achieve greater progress in their career. Fed Finance - a temporary and permanent recruitment company for accounting and finance positions - has experts on the job every day to give you the best employment advice. Follow us on LinkedIn and keep up with all our news.